Projectile.



J. M. KAYLOR.

PROJECTILE.

APPLICATION FILED use. 3. 19:7.

Patented Sept 3, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

J. M. KAYLOR.

Patented Sept. 3, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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PROJECTILE.

narrate.

Specification of Letters Eatent.

Patented Sept. 3, 1918.

Application filed December 3, 1917. Serial No. 205,056.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN M. KAYLoR, a citizen of the, United States,residing at Pendleton, in the county of Umatilla and State of Oregon,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Projectiles, ofwhich the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to projectiles and more particularly to aprojectile for employment in breech loading cannon, rifles, and similarpieces of ordnance in which the projectile is separate from theexplosive charge by which it is propelled.

' It is one aim of the invention to provide a projectile so constructedthat the trajectory will be greatly reduced so that in sight ing thepiece from which the projectile is to be fired itwill be unnecessary, asat present, to elevate the muzzle of the piece to a considerable anglein order to reach the mark. In other words, the projectile em- Y bodyingthe present invention is so constructed that it will travel insubstantially a straight line until its speed has become materiallyreduced.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the projectile embodying the presentinvention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view therethrough'.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional View on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse sectional view on the line H of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a front end view of the projectile in place within the breechof a cannon, the barrel of the latter being shown in transverse section.

The projectile embodying the resent invention comprises a hollow cylinrical body 1 having fitted to its forward end a nose 2 of the usual formand having threaded on to its rear end, as at 3, a cap 4, which may beremoved for the purpose of gaining access to the interior of theprojectile in assembling the parts thereof or in repairing any partswhich may become broken or damaged in the handling of the projectilebefore firing.

For a purpose to e presently explained, the body of the projectile isdivided interiorly into horizontal and vertical compartments byremovable partition" plates as will now be described. Interiorly'thewall of the body is-formed with oppositely located longitudinallyextended grooves 5 and other seating in grooves 12 formed in the underside of the plate 8 directly above and parallel to the grooves 10. Thusa compartment 13 is provided below the compartment 9 and it will beunderstood that the space within the body of the shell or projectile andexterior to the compartments 9 and. 13 may be filled with a suitableexplosive charge, for bursting the projectile, as clearly shown in Fig.4 of the drawings. The wall of the body of the projectile is furtherformed with longitudinally extending slots 9 communicating with thecompartment 9 at the opposite sides thereof, and with a longitudinallyextending slot 13 communicating with the compartment 13.

The projectile embodying the invention is provided with sustaining wingswhich project through the slots 9, and with a stabilizing fin whichprojects through the slot 13*, the sustaining wings tending to cause theprojectile to travel in a straight line and the stabilizing fin tendingto hold the projectile to a direct forward course or path during itsflight and to prevent lateral canting or turning thereof. Each of thesustaining wings comprises a fiat relatively thin body 15, of a lengthand thickness to fit snugly and yet slidably through the respective slot9*, and a transverse head 16 located at the inner end of the wing andextending at right angles to the plane thereof. The heads 16 of thewings are of a height to extend between the partition plates 7 and 8.Disposed against the inner faces of the heads 15 of the sustaining Wings15 are bearing plates 14: each provided with a suitable number of studs11 which are engaged by the ends of compression springs 18, the saidsprings-extending transversely between the bearing plates and serving tonormally hold the wings projected throu h the slots 9, as clearly shownin Fig. 4 of the drawings, the outer or remote faces of the headsresting against the inner side of the wall of the body of theprojectile. By reference to Fig. 3 of the drawings it will be observedthat the bearing plates 14 extend toward the butt end of the shell orprojectile to such distance that their rear ends will be substantiallyin contact with the cap 4: so that the plates'will not be liable tobecome rearwardly displaced when the projectile is fired from the pieceand also in order that access may be readily had to the said plates forassembling and disassembling the parts of the projectile.

The sustaining wings are of a Width greater than the width of therespective slots 8 so that a portion of each wing, indicated by thenumeral 19, will project beyond. the outer surface of the body 1, due tothe force exerted by the springs 18. The projecting'portion 19 of eachsustaining wing is formed upon its under side with a positive sustainingsurface 20 which is inclined downwardly from the forward end of the wingto the rear end thereof along a straight line and continuously, and theother side of each wing is formed with a negative sur face 21 which isinclined downwardly from a point rearwardly of the middle of the portion19 to the rear end thereof. Due to the provision of the surfaces 20 and21, the

projectile in its travel will be caused to fol-,

low a substantially straight line or path as will be readily understood.Inasmuch as the wings 15 are held projected outwardly through the mediumof the springs 18, they may be forced inwardly when inserted into thebreech of the cannon or the like until the outer edges of their portions19 are flush with the outer surface of the body 1 of the projectile,this edge being preferably curved or rounded as indicated at 22, so asto,

as stated, be flushwith the outer surface of the body when the wings areforced inwardly.

The stabilizing fin is indicated by the numeral 23, and is provided atits upper edge.

with a head 24 which corresponds to the head 16 of either of thesustaining wings 15,

and which head rests normally against the inner side of the wall 'of thebody 1.. bearing plate 24 is disposed against the inner side of the head24 and corresponds to the bearing plates 14: and is formed or.

provided with a number of studs 25 which are engaged by the lower endsof compres sion springs 26, the upper ends of the said sprlngs engagingsimilar studs 27 upon the under side of the plate 8. The fin 23 is of aheight greater than the depth of the slot 13 and consequently its loweredge portion projects below the under side of the projectile or'body 1,as indicated by the nu meral 28, and this portion 28 has its 0 p0siteside faces beveled so as to form sur aces 29 which occupy planesdiverging rearwardly from the forward end of the fin. The beveledsurfaces 29 terminate short of the rear end of the fin, as clearly shownin Fig. 2' ofthe drawings. As illustrated in Fig. 5 of the drawings, inwhich figure the piece of ordnance is indicated by the numeral 30, thestabilizing fin projects into a groove 31 formed in the bottom of thebore of the piece, and by reason of this fact the projectile in leavingthe muzzle of the piece will be in plumb position or in other words, insuch position that its sustaining wings will be horizontal or nearly so,and the stabilizing fin will be verticaL- It will be understood that thesustaining wings and stabilizing fin maybe readily inserted into placeor removed for repairs, due to the provision of the removable partitionplates.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A projectile comprising a body having slots formed in theoppositesides thereof, sustainingwings slidably fitted within the slotsand having their edge portions proj ecting beyond the outer surface ofthe body of the projectile, and resilient means arranged between thewings for holding the same projected.

2. A projectile comprising a hollow body divided interiorly bytransverse upper and lower partitions to form an explosive chargereceiving chamber and a compartment from which the charge is excluded,the wall of the projectile being formed with slots eX- tendinglongitudinally thereof and located, at the opposite sides of the saidcompartment, sustaining Wings slidably fitted in the slots and eachhaving a base at its inner edge, and a spring disposed between the saidwings and bearlng at its opposite ends against the bases of the wingsand yieldably holding the wings projected through the slots.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

JOHN M. KAYLOR. a 8.

